


Better Changes

by Merfilly



Category: Leverage
Genre: Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 11:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3445670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec is being reflective over the last few years on a quiet night in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Changes

Alec Hardison, genius with anything electronic, still wasn't certain how his life had shaped up this way. Getting to the top of the hacking crowd had been nothing,but his personal life had always been something of a lonely walk. He had his Nana, he had his computers, and when he wanted company of the pleasurable sort, he went looking for it on a no-strings basis. There'd never been much honesty in those dealings, either, because being honest meant trusting, and that was not something he really liked to do.

People always let other people down. It was a fact, and one reason why he preferred the Internet to the real world. At least with the 'net, the reality could be sculpted to the way he wanted life to be.

So how had a team of misfit social outcasts become his family? When exactly had he decided that they were the people he wanted in his life forever? Especially the two who currently lived with him, loved him, and made him willing to do damn near anything to keep them safe?

"You're thinking." Parker's words preceded her plopping down in his lap, settling in against his body like he was her favorite chair.

Eliot, having been resting on the longer couch with the kitten purring up a storm on his chest, looked over with a lazy appraisal. "No jobs, three days, you promised," he said in a low, gravelly voice that made Alec hope the kitten was getting put in the bathroom for the night.

"Not thinking about work," he admitted to them both. "It's real nice to just kick back and chill for a few days after the streak we've had." He settled his hand on Parker's in her lap, other arm flung out over the back of the love-seat. "Just thinking about the way life's changed in the last few years is all."

"For good, right? Or better. I think it's better." Parker cuddled in against him, and he smiled. Damn, but he loved her, loved that she was all for the romantic contact, even if they'd negotiated certain boundaries on physical things could be. He respected her wishes, and to be honest, it worked just the way it was.

Besides, Eliot more than made up for the other kind of contact he wanted.

"Yeah, Parker. Better all around. I mean, sometimes I get scared by the stuff you two pull—"

"Us?" Eliot interrupted. "Excuse me, but I think two jobs ago, we had to get Maggie in on a job to get you out of the oversell you did!"

Alec shrugged that off. "Y'all take more risks than me, up inside and all, most of the time."

"Point," Parker said, heading off that endless debate because she was curious what Alec was thinking. "So, what about what's changed?"

"Used to be all lone wolf about life. Took people when I had to have them, mostly stuck to my computers and what I could do with them. Then Nate introduced us all, and we kind of just fell into something bigger than any one of us. Something I don't ever want to lose." Alec looked from her over to Eliot, watching that eternal struggle to accept that mortality was the way of things, but it didn't mean staying apart. For once, the hitter let the ache in his soul go and just focused on the positive side of what they had.

"It's good, this thing we have. Even with the risks," Eliot said softly, cupping a hand around the fluff-ball on his chest. The kitten's motor wound back up to be audible even to the pair on the love-seat. "I mean, when we go out there, and we get in too deep, it's could still take one or all of us out, but there's a new level to survival."

"Because it's not just about our own skin?" Parker asked. "We weigh things a little differently now, because we know what our risks do to each other."

"Yeah, all of that," Alec agreed. "But more. I mean, used to be easy to get pretty high on cracking codes that were unbreakable. Now? That's like cheap fake chocolate compared to eating a piece of free-trade, rich, organic chocolate. Because you guys, when you smile or laugh? That's the good chocolate."

"Look at you breaking out the food metaphors," Eliot teased him. "Thought that was my job."

"It is." Parker pouted and looked at Alec. "Now I want chocolate. Or a mocha. Maybe chocolate covered espresso beans."

"Ah hell no, Parker," Alec quickly told her. "No job for three days? We can't keep you occupied enough if you have all that caffeine!" That made her pout more, but Eliot chuckled. Alec smiled over at him, then back up to their lady. "We can go out in the morning, and I'll buy you anything you want from the coffee house we found last week."

"And then?" Parker wheedled, curious just what he had in mind for all the energy he feared so much.

"Tackle that new wall-climbing place?" Eliot suggested. Alec cringed a little on the inside, but Parker was already lighting up so bright.

"Why do you both always find some excuse to make me wind up hanging upside down on some ropes?" he complained, but he didn't mean a bit of ill will in it, and they knew it.

"You always look cute when you do that," Parker said helpfully.

"Better to practice it where they have good safety harnesses, padded floors, right?" Eliot offered as the kitten came fully awake and stretched up on his chest. "Ow, your claws, cat!" he fussed at the tiny creature. The kitten ignored him and leaped from him to the arm of the couch, then wound up for the bigger leap to the couch.

When the kitten missed the leap spectacularly and walked off indignantly, they all shared a laugh, before Eliot pushed up to sitting, and looked at the comfy pair. Alec met his eyes, then slowly smiled.

"You just want to get me over that damn almost fall."

"I had you," Parker reminded him. He leaned up and planted a light kiss on her lips.

"You always do. Both of you, and that's what's so good about life changing," he told them.

Neither one could deny it, as they settled in for their small break from the grind of saving the little people of the world.


End file.
